Liberty University School of Law dean announces new role

Liberty University School of Law Dean Keith Faulkner announced on Wednesday that he has accepted a new position as President and Dean at Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Va., to begin July 1.

Faulkner has served as dean of Liberty Law since October 2015.

“Serving as the dean of Liberty University School of Law has been the highlight of my career,” he said. “The law school is blessed to have amazing students, a loyal alumni community, a dedicated and incredibly talented faculty, and the most committed staff. Working alongside this team to advance the mission of the school and university has been rewarding beyond expectations.”

“My leadership team in the President’s Office and the Office of the Provost has provided every opportunity for the law school to succeed — and we have,” Faulkner added. “I look forward to setting the conditions for success with my new team as President and Dean at Appalachian School of Law. I will forever cherish my season at Liberty, and I leave convinced that Liberty Law’s future is very bright.”

“It has truly been an honor and a privilege to be able to work alongside my friend Dean Keith Faulkner during our time together here at Liberty,” said Liberty Provost Scott Hicks. “Under Keith’s leadership, the School of Law has advanced leaps and bounds by all measures and is well-positioned for continued growth and excellence.”

During Faulkner’s time at Liberty, the law school earned its first top 10 ranking of law schools in the nation for bar passage rates; in 2018, Liberty Law placed the highest out of all law schools in Virginia, surpassing University of Virginia School of Law and William & Mary Law School. Liberty Law has also been recognized as a Best Value Law School and noted for its success in placing graduates into jobs in the legal profession. Liberty Law has become well-known for its practical skills program and experiential learning opportunities, including national wins for its competition teams, as well as for its service and outreach to the community. This year marked the highest number of applications to Liberty Law since its opening in 2004.

“The successes are quite obvious, but perhaps Dean Faulkner’s most important contribution to our mission is found in the love and care that he has for each of his students,” Hicks added. “We are going to miss him greatly and wish him Godspeed as he takes on the next work the Lord has in store for him.”

Faulkner came to Liberty Law following 10 years at Campbell University, where he served in senior leadership at Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. Faulkner has been a litigation associate for a law firm in Wilmington, N.C., and a partner in a private practice. He served for eight years in the U.S. Navy as a submariner, nuclear power plant operator, and instructor in the Nuclear Power Training Pipeline.